Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-07-29
TWO MEALS PER DAY.
TO INTERRUPT WORK AT MIDDAY
is A GREAT MISTAKE.

A Pernicious Custom of the Anglo-Saxon
Race-Efects of Overlooking the stom-
aeh BENEFITS of Occasional Fasting.
TIE Chinese Habit.
Now, say thas -sreakfast time is 2
o'clock. 1t takes a fuII A91r afterward
before it is safe to interfere the nervous
energy essential to digestion. By 10 'ciUoh-
healthy person ought to be in good con-
dition for work. At about II o'clock the
air out of doors reaches the highest point
Of purity, or in other words, the oxygen
in the atmosphere is approaching the max
imum. 1t continues in this state until Z
O'Clock p. m. The electricity following,
the sun is then at it's height
So we have at midday the inner and
outer conditions for the greatest brain
and bodily power To interrupt work at
sucha time is mistake which the Anglo
Saxon race does not realize, because it has
inherited the custom of stopping to take
provisions between IL and 2 O'Clock in the
day.
All kinds of mental and physical
work proceed by better sustained attention.
The difference between an Isaac Newton
and an ordinary mortal is shown in the ease
thrown aside in order to do what is de-
scribed as Certifying the inner man"
Newton could concentrate his mind upon
a subject so as to be oblivious of all else,
including eating and sleeping, for twenty
four hours. think there is an appropri-
ateness in comparing the too frequently
loaded human stomach to an engine which
is all fired and working splendidly when
the fire is buried under new Goals and the
steam cooled down by a deluge of water.
am convinced that there ought to be an
interval of at least seven hours between
the two meals of the day. If there must
be brief rest from labor at noon it will
be found healthier to do anything else
than eat and drink.
Nature is quicker to forgive the mis-
take of sleeping, bathing or walking too
much than the fault of depressing the
whole man with an unnecessary load of
food The theory that the stomach de-
mands something to sustain it after few
hours from the last time it took food is as
wild as that a horse should be put to work
in very little while after it has had hard
service.
BENEFITS OF FASTING.
The stomach is not dependent upon
work for it's health, except as,
OIL COURSE, III duu tu0 WHOl0 DOuy
must have the blood made from it's
digested food; but this blood does not
need replenishing so often as is supposed,
considering that it remains in the system
and continues an endless circuit.
Disease is occasioned by the over fatigue
of the digestive system, just as overwork
kills the horse. Many persons of mature
judgment obtain relief from bodily
troubles by fasts of three days. 1 have
often tried this experiment, and have
always found that the stomach gains in
tone. I have even done the seven day
fast, studying and working the whole
time, and believe it did me good
Fasting for long periods has to be done
intelligently or it may do more harm than
good. I can fully appreciate the danger
of advising any particular course of action
outside the line beyond which everyday
people should go; but there is good ground
for advising them to become accustomed
to two meals.
When Christ sat at the well in Samaria
waiting for his cold victuals it was 6
o'clock p. NJ, Roman reckoning. He is
never mentioned as having eaten at noon
The eating habits of his disciples were
the same. The only exception to the gen.
eral record was St. Peter, who is said to
have eaten a noon meal on the roof at
Joppa; but, judging from what appears
elsewhere concerning him, believe he
was then only breaking his fast for the
day.
The Chinese habit Of eating only twice
day is confined to those who do not
work in the fields. The latter mentioned
class eat three times.
To break off the habit of eating the
noon meal, it only requires about four
days. persistent fasting. After that the
craving for food will become more and
more moderate, and ultimately disappear.
w. Crofut in Herald of Health.